Airplanes don’t kill people, people do

In his blog at the Huffington Post, Jeff Schweitzer notes that “At the very moment crazed kamikaze pilot Joseph Stack plowed his airplane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas, propaganda machinery in suspended animation instantly sprang back to life to lament the danger of small airplanes. Hysterical comparisons to 9/11 were immediately bandied about by pundits and politicians. With knowing glances exchanged between talking heads, a cry went out that personal airplanes were dangerous.”

He continues: “People fear what they do not know, and the inner workings of aviation certainly are mysterious to all but pilots. So a terrible event like what happened in Austin brings forth fearful cries to restrict general aviation. That initial response is understandable, but terribly misguided. The best way to counter the many misperceptions about flying is to bring to light the true benefits of general aviation, which should help dampen any future impulse to place restrictions on private and corporate airplanes.”

The blog then lists just a few of GA’s many contributions to society, from relief missions in Haiti to the impact of GA on business. Read it in full here.